shock

Everything else pales in comparison to what has happened in Christchurch.  I lived there for nearly 8 years and worked in the CBD, in an old brick building.  It all feels so unbelieveable.  Please have the people of Christchurch and Canterbury in your thoughts. x

quick dinner

Some mashed potato, a can of tuna, a little parsley, lemon zest and finely chopped spring onion, salt and pepper.  Form into patties, dip in beaten egg, then into breadcrumbs.  Fry till golden!  Next time I think I'll add some chopped capers too.

scarf dilemma

Yes, it's true I am having a scarf dilemma and I need your help.  I have begun two scarves.  I only need (and have enough yarn for) one.  And I can't decide which one I like best! 

This is scarf 'A'.  She's a rather pretty wee thing, with a little zigzag edge and a subtle pattern.  This is her good side, her 'underside' is rather boring.

Knit on big needles and with two strands of wool, scarf 'B' is a chunky little number (but we won't hold that against her).  She is reversible (same on front and back), and has the possibility of the ends being joined into a cowl once finished.
So there you have it.  Which gets frogged and which gets finished.  Please vote for your favourite now!  Thanks x

still

The one craft that really stills my mind is painting.  I am only a dabbler, by NO means a painter.  Recently I felt the need to put brush to paper.  When I am mixing up the colours and watching them hit the white paper, it's like a breath of fresh air.  It is totally about the journey not the result.  But I'll show you the result anyway.  Naive to say the least!  Childlike, simple, still.  I felt very relaxed when I was done.

I love the reflection on the wooden floor.

sunprints

A dear friend sent me a letter the other day, and in it was a pack of sunprints.  I'd never heard of these before, and I've been having so much fun playing with them.  I'll show you the whole lot once I'm done experimenting!

best dinner ever

 Well, so far this week anyway.  Brown rice, chicken, avocado, tomato, parsley, red onion, and lettuce salad.  Nom nom.   I made a dressing/marinade from garlic, ginger, soy, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, sugar and tabasco.  I used half of this to marinate the chicken before cooking it, and used the other half (that had not touched raw chicken obviously!) as a dressing.  I must credit a status update on destitute gourmets facebook page for the inspiration for this dish.  Pretty much tasted like eating a big plate of chicken and avocado sushi - which is okay by me.  Now I'd best be off to do the dishes x

Life

Life seems to have gotten in the way of this little blog, its been nearly a week since my last post!  Oops!

Strawberry popcorn

Yup, there have been babies to wrangle (we're getting to that toddler-y tantrum stage, complete with squealing - HELP!) meals to plan, (corn chip casserole, zucchini fritters, brown rice and chicken salad, tuna potato cakes, baked potatoes, curried rice with chickpeas, bean and potato bake), and root canals to organise (sob sob).

But there has also been a stitch and bitch meeting, a cold glass of hubby's home brew, a nearly finished crochet project, new harvests from the garden, fun with chalk and blueberry muffins.

Chalky footprints

And tomatoes.  Always more tomatoes.

Season, slow roast, and freeze for pizzas etc in the winter

food budget update

Hi!  Hey thanks for all your lovely comments on my last post.  I'm not really feeling too bad, like stressed, but just tired and stuff.  Also I am fighting the feeling of getting a bit resentful of my time being taken up by 'needs' when I'd rather be selfish and do something I want.  I enjoyed reading your advice, and particularly took to heart the comments about this being a short season of my life, and that its good to try to keep balance and enjoy a little of everything.  Sounds like we are all feeling the same way, so hopefully we can all find time to take a breath and find some calm.

On another note, I've been thinking and working on my food budget and I thought I'd share the latest with you.  So about a week and a half ago I did a list of 14 meals (2 weeks), and also added breakfast, lunch and snack ideas.  I made a master list of all the food/products we usually buy.  I went through the list and wrote down all the ingredients I needed for my 2 weeks.  Last weekend we went to Pak n Save and spent $181.  This week I went to the supermarket on Monday to get milk and veges/fruit for the week, and spent $28.  The meals I have planned and the ingredients I have on hand should last us to the end of the week.  This works out as $104.50 per week!  Yay!!  In case you're interested here is this weeks meal plan.

• Monday - Ella's Chorizo dish
• Tuesday - Vege Stir fry
• Wednesday - Chicken Risotto and broccoli
• Thursday - Casserole Pie and veges (last week we had beef casserole and I used the leftover to make pies borrowing my mums pie maker)
• Friday - Pan fried fish and salad
• Saturday - Dahl on rice
• Sunday - Lentil loaf with broccoli and carrots

Breakfasts are porridge or toast, lunches are basic sandwiches (tomato or marmite or tuna or cheese etc) or leftovers, or scrambled eggs.  Snacks are (homemade) muffins or crackers, or fruit/yoghurt.
So that's that!  I'm pretty pleased, its made getting meals ready easier, as there is less decision making at that time of the evening when my brain isn't working properly anymore!  And less wasting of food, and it's defiantly cheaper so far.  Let me know if your interested and I'll post another update next fortnight.

priorities and how to fit it all in

Spent poppies marking the passing of the season

I feel like I am constantly running.  Not physically running (which would be great for my body) but running in my mind.  I am never still.  And I know I'm never going to catch up with whatever it is I'm running for, because there is just too much stuff.  Too many things I want to be and do.
I want to be a mama who takes time to play with her daughter.
I want to be a wife who is supportive and caring.
I want to be a daughter and sister who takes time for her family.
I want to be a homemaker who makes homemade food, tends her garden, and keeps a nice home.
I want to be a crafter who can sell her creations to others and make them happy.
I want to be wearing clothes that I feel good in and that make me feel happy, but I don't want to spend money on them when we should be saving and I don't have time to make them myself.
I want to be able to take time for myself without feeling like I should be doing something for someone else.
It is hard.  I feel like I am treading water a bit at the moment just to keep afloat.  I want to re-open my felt shop, but I don't know if there is any point.  And I want to put my best work out there, and take the time to photograph it properly and make it look the best it can.  And I just don't have time.  Does that mean I have to let some things go? 
What are your priorities and how do you fit it all in?

get hot. swim. repeat.

Life over the past three days has revolved around the packing and unpacking and repacking of these bags.  Hand bag, nappy bag, swimming bag (all home made). 
It is sooo hot here.  Probably not what some would consider really hot, but for me it is too much.  It says it was only 25.9 yesterday - but then how come the HRV in our house was reading, at one point late yesterday afternoon, 42 in the roof and 32 in the house...?  Anyway, it is hot.    I am not at my best when it is this hot.  It makes me cranky and I just want to sit still on the couch with all the curtains closed trying to keep the house cool. 
There has not been a lot of crafting or cooking or anything.  Except swimming.  And bag packing.

still here

Just awol from the blog for a few days.  The husband has been off work you see, so there have been a few errands to run and small adventures to be had.  There have also been many tomatoes.

This is typical of what can be picked every 4 days or so at the moment.

My second to last weigh in.  There's one more on my (now sickly looking) black krim.
Aside from tomatoes, I've been makin' and the babe has been playin'.

A surprise project.

Two containers.  Cornflour.  Water.  Food colouring.  Should buy you at least half an hour.
xo